Well, girls my number has been called and I’m hopping on a plane tomorrow to paradise to marry my Superman! Buckle up kiddos and cozy up with a mimosa, this is going to be a long one! I’m sure I’ll be off and on here today – I have a feeling it’s going to be hard for me to get anything accomplished at work today! But wanted to do this in case I get sidetracked. We’ll be on the beach by 1:00 tomorrow, get married at 4:00 on the 21st and will be home as a Mrs. On the 24th. It is so surreal that my time is finally here! I love a party, love to get dressed up, celebrate with the people I care about and have a fabulous time! But not as a bride! I have learned that I do not have the bride gene (I’ve also learned that that’s okay!) Planning an elopement and having a party afterwards with our families was enough of a wedding “adventure” for me. I would have driven Dave and myself to insanity with stress if I had gone the full-blown wedding route! I really didn’t care about having a wedding, I just wanted to marry my best friend. Thanks to you girls, your excitement, ideas and support motivated me, helped bring out my hidden bride and get excited about my wedding too. Finding this board was also perfect timing when my college, ‘party day’ friendships were evolving. Some of those friendships survived “growing up”, some didn’t. It really bothered me because I cherish my friendships and missed them a lot. But then saw that this was happening to other girls on the board too and was just part of life. And more importantly, a circle of new friends was created here. The bond and community we have here helped fill the loss of my other friends and I got to start a new chapter of my life with you. I love that I have contact with and chat with girls from all walks of life & backgrounds, from all over the country and world! Just wanted to say this quickly (especially for the new girls) – remember that these boards are public. There are some random people that will come out to “play” and cause mayhem every now and then. Be careful what you put out there for the public to see. If any hurtful things are said by these randoms, ignore it, let it roll off, laugh about and move on. If you don’t respond, they don’t have anything to work with! Forums are a mix of ‘cyberspace pretending’ and real life. The real life aspect to the boards outshines all the other silliness. There will be some downs (the loss of jobs and loved ones, sickness) and many ups (weddings of course! babies, new houses, graduations, new jobs). We share these life experiences with and support each other. For all those are planning and lurking, come out to play! The more you contribute to this board and get to know these girls, the more you come to realize that these cyber friends can do more than give you tips for your wedding, they can become your real life friends. If you ever have a chance to do a get-together, do it! It is so fun to meet these girls in real life. Hi girls I hope to meet many more of you down the road! Like everyone, I felt like my day would never get here. Not just waiting for my wedding day, but waiting for my prince charming to show up on my doorstep. To make a long story short, before meeting Dave I had been in a cycle of abusive relationships. I almost married one of those men, but thankfully I woke up and freed myself of the cycle. My mom’s favorite thing to tell us when my sister and I were growing up was “Everything happens for a reason and everything works out in the end. It may not work out how you think it will, but it always does.” Of course, we used to roll our eyes at her and say “Whatever Mom!” Well, that saying has become one of my life mottos. There is always a rainbow at the end of the storm. Even if it is a faint rainbow and you have to search really hard for it, it’s there. After all the relationship storms I went through, I waited patiently, looked all over and finally found my Dave rainbow! I know he would tease me endlessly for saying that sappiness! :) He is this big tough guy on the outside, but on the inside he is a sweet boy with a big heart. He truly is the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so thankful for him, his kindness, compassion, humor, dedication and love. He makes me so happy! I can’t do call outs because I don’t want to leave anyone out and especially because there are so many knotties, nesties and bumpies who have been a part of my planning and life over the past 16 months here! You all are wonderful, special ladies and I wish you the most happiness and love in your marriage and life!! Thank you for your advice, caring support and lots of laughs! See you on the flip side! Love you DW girls! Toodles
Danielle